About Us

Apartment Therapy is an home and decor site, designed to inspire anyone to live a more beautiful and happy life at home.

Launched in 2001 by interior designer Maxwell Ryan (nicknamed "the apartment therapist") as a weekly newsletter for clients, Apartment Therapy officially became a media company in 2004 and has since grown to become a leading source of design inspiration and tips for real people looking for real-life decor solutions through a fascinating look into how people from around the country live at home.

Through a combination of expert advice, shopping guides, and DIY how-to's, it's our mission to show how people are making their own homes more beautiful with unstaged and true-to-life tips and photos for range of budgets. Every day we feature a new House Tour – submitted directly by our readers showing real imagery (i.e. without professional styling and photography) of homes of all sizes and styles built on budgets big and small, to show the way we live today. Capturing the inspiring ideas and solutions in these one-of-a-kind spaces, along with the people and life that takes place within them, we show how our readers can create their favorite looks in their own homes.

We reach an engaged community of over 20 million across our website, newsletter and social media platforms. We've garnered millions of video views, produce over 125 pieces of original content every week, and have over 4 million followers on social platforms. We also launched Kitchn in 2005, to give you even more inspiration in one of our favorite rooms of the home.

Maxwell Ryan

Twelve years ago, Maxwell Ryan was known as the "apartment therapist," traveling by scooter to his clients' homes to help them make their spaces beautiful, organized and healthy. Part interior designer, part life coach, his touchpoints were simplicity, comfort, and lack of clutter. Unlike typical designers, Maxwell didn't want to dictate where things should go or how people should live; he wanted to arm them with the tools and the confidence to decide for themselves.

Shortly after launching in 2001, he started a weekly email where he would send tips and recommendations to an increasing distribution list, combining education with decoration.

As the readership grew, so did Apartment Therapy. Between 2004 and 2008, the site launched sister sites devoted to cooking, family, technology, and green decorating. Maxwell hired full-time staff, and an expanding pool of contributors.

In early 2012, Apartment Therapy relaunched in order to better serve its readers. Because family, technology and green living are integral parts of modern life, these sister sites are now absorbed into two comprehensive sites: Apartment Therapy and critically-acclaimed culinary website The Kitchn. Streamlined and easier to navigate, Apartment Therapy continues to offer its readers different ways to build their own "good life," based not just on style but on lifestyle.